Enormous Monday Night Firework Show Surprises San Francisco

Shortly before 10 p.m. on Monday night San Franciscans across the city heard the familiar pop-pop of fireworks. The show, which truly rivaled July 4, could be seen from buildings in the Marina District, high above the Bay. SF Weekly could hear the explosions as far away as the Panhandle.

Twitter erupted as people tried to figure out what was going on — many complaining about the noise awakening their children late on a Monday night, and stressing out their anxious dogs. Others enjoyed the surprise spectacle, heading to their rooftops to capture the glory.

I’m in San Francisco and just saw an amazing fireworks and laser light show! I have no idea why, but it was a great and long show. And very loud, here’s the finale I captured from many blocks away pic.twitter.com/hFGEcCFGgb

After 20 minutes or so, those with excellent googling abilities shared the cause of the festivities: the St. Francis Yacht Club, an exclusive invitation-only society which frequently hosts black-tie affairs. The exorbitant display Monday night was for its Club Management Association celebration, which drew members from all over the world.

San Francisco loves to party, and while they may terrify small dogs, fireworks are generally a spectacle that everyone can enjoy. But to host such a massive, 18-minute display — with no warning — that started at 9:50 p.m. on a Monday night seemed, to some, to be a bit inconsiderate.

The event was officially permitted by the U.S. Coast Guard. We reached out to the St. Francis Yacht Club in an attempt to learn if any outreach was done about the massive, late-night display. So far they’ve yet to answer, which isn’t surprising. If the party was as epic as the fireworks last night, we’re going to take a wild guess that the attendees’ hangovers Tuesday morning are a little explosive.

Update:Paul Koojoolian, the manager of the Yacht Club, tells SF Weekly that the event drew 1,700 club managers from around the world for “food, beverage, entertainment and networking.” It was the first time the club had hosted the managers in 20 years, and he stressed that “This is definitely not a yearly event and will most likely not happen again for quite some time.”